Rants, reasoning, resolutions & other randomness from this journey of life

Monthly Archives: January 2015

With all the money tied up in our new house, Christmas was a bit difficult this year. I was facing a challenge of gifting from the heart on a super tight budget and also decorating the house. So this year I decided to go homemade for the holidays. After all, when you’re in the middle of a total renovation property and raising a toddler, time is the most valuable thing you have to offer, right? I loved some of these items so much I decided to add them to my Etsy shop too!

MASON JAR SOAP DISPENSERS

I loved the way these turned out. It took a little engineering to construct the lids but these pint jars went from simple to shabby chic thanks to that, some chalk paint & glaze, and a little distressing. I made them in a weathered gray, ivory and went a little bold with a turquoise one for my own bathroom.

Mason Jar Soap Dispensers by The Write Side of Life

Gray Mason Jar Soap Dispensers by The Write Side of Life

Gray Mason Jar Soap Dispensers by The Write Side of Life

Turquoise Mason Jar Soap Dispensers by The Write Side of Life

Turquoise Mason Jar Soap Dispensers by The Write Side of Life

You can also order these in my Tulip Garden Gifts Etsy shop by clicking here.

FAMILY BIRTHDAY BOARD

I LOVE how this turned out. I started with a basic board and did a crackle paint finish then stenciled and added the hardware. This was for my husband’s grandmother and there were lots of names to add so I color-coded all the tags. The color of each name and birthdate represented either her children (or one of their spouses), her grandchildren (or one of their spouses), or her great-grandchildren.

Family Birthday Board by The Write Side of Life

SPECKLED COFFEE MUG SETS

A few years ago I made gift baskets for some of our family members with spiced nuts and a homemade cocoa mixes and coffee mugs and other goodies. I wanted to do something similar but within my budget and a bit more personalized. I meet with my grandmother and her Dutch friends every Tuesday and didn’t want to forget these beautiful women who I now consider very good friends as well. After stenciling and dotting the mugs I baked them to set the paint so that they could be washable. Then I made a hot cocoa mix with spices and dark chocolate shavings and marshmallows and added a small bottle of Bailey’s to each cup.

Speckle Initial Coffee Mug by The Write Side of Life {Tulip Garden Gifts}

Personalized Coffee Mugs by The Write Side of Life.I even made a set for The Hub and I ❤

Personalized Coffee Mugs by The Write Side of Life – Available in Etsy Shop @ Tulip Garden Gifts

Personalized Coffee Mugs by The Write Side of Life – Available in Etsy Shop @ Tulip Garden Gifts

Personalized Coffee Mugs by The Write Side of Life – Available in Etsy Shop @ Tulip Garden Gifts

Personalized Coffee Mugs by The Write Side of Life – Available in Etsy Shop @ Tulip Garden Gifts

These are also available to order in the Etsy shop (sans the alcohol) by clicking here.

RECIPE / PICTURE HOLDER

This was definitely one of the more unique items I made this year. It took a bit of engineering to come up with a proper design but once I assembled the right components I realized how functional this could be. I used a cabinet face stained in a walnut finish and applied a coat of chalk paint just enough to give it a pale weathered look. I assembled a base and added a decorative topper all painted to match and then added a simply decorated clip to the front. The base also doubles as a stand so that if you are using, say, an iPad to read a recipe from you can prop it up on there as well. And when it’s not being used to read recipes, it makes a great and unique picture holder as well! 🙂

Some crafts are just not cheap to make. These were on the pricier side of the projects I made this year but, they are just so beautiful. There are so many different combinations and colors if I could afford it, I’d have made one for every room of my own house too. Maybe someday. 😉

This is a really neat gift for anyone tied to a certain state or area. After staining and sealing the wood, I outlined the state and used copper tacks and thread to create a unique wall hanging. But perhaps the sweetest touch of this gift is that the heart encircles where they live. Awww. I know right! 😉

I have seen some cute crafty dreamcatchers made out of doilies online and got the idea to make a dreamcatcher for my sister. For this I just used a needlepoint ring and crocheted the dreamcatcher part. I sort of made up the pattern as I went based on how big I wanted each loop to be. To finish it I just braided some yard and added a few feathers I picked up at the craft store. (Sorry, I didn’t take a picture of the finished product).

Crocheted Dreamcatcher by The Write Side of Life

RIBBON LOOP CHRISTMAS TREE DECORATION

This was something I was going to attempt in a set of three but to be honest it just took waaaay too much time and glue this way so I aborted this one and just let this one hang out on its own on our mantel during the holidays. If you’re going to attempt this one, instead of using thin ribbon and glueing them together then to the cone individually, you can save yourself a lot of time by using thick ribbon and folding it over then cut slits into it. It’ll give you the same look.

With the holiday rush, renovations, and a 2nd birthday party to plan I’m a little late with my holiday post. I hope everyone had a great Christmas and new year!

As you may know, my sister and I love to get the kids together before most holidays and have a craft day. Not only does it give us some really cute keepsakes of their childhood but we usually come up with some pretty good gift ideas for the grandparents too! 🙂 If you’re new to the blog or missed it, here are some from holidays passed:

This year we let the kiddos put their stamp on several new ideas and they turned out great! Take a look…

We made these cute fingerprint wreath ornaments…

Fingerprint wreath christmas ornament | The Write Side of Life

These cute fingerprint bulb coffee mugs…

Fingerprint bulbs coffee mug | The Write Side of Life

These really sweet fingerprint bulb picture frames…

Fingerprint bulb picture frame | The Write Side of Life

And these adorable Christmas tree cookie plates…

Handprint Christmas Tree Cookie Plate | The Write Side of Life

Needless to say I was also on a pretty tight budget this year when it came to gift-giving with the new money-pit house and all. Still, I didn’t want to turn that into cheap, meaningless gifts for the friends & family so I decided to make most of the gifts myself. After all, when you’re knee-deep in renovations and busy chasing a 2-year old one of the most expensive gifts you can give is your time right? Can’t wait to share them with you!! I’ll be posting a round up of some of the things I came up with so stay tuned! 🙂